Marathon record holder banned for 8 years
"This athlete has cheated, or intentionally cheated in the doping test process," the New Zealand Sports Court notice today, March 22, said. Accordingly, Robertson was banned from playing for four years for "having traces of use or intentional use of the banned substance Erythropoietin (EPO)" and an additional four years for "deceitful conduct".
However, the punishment for Robertson was only a deterrent. Before the Court ruled, this runner announced his retirement in February, and did not mention the doping case.
Roberton has been New Zealand's number one long-distance runner for about 10 years. He currently holds the national record for marathon distance (42.195km) with 2 hours 8 minutes 19 seconds and half marathon (21.0975km) with 59 minutes 47 seconds. He is also the former owner of the national record of 10,000m with 27 minutes 33.67 seconds. Robertson won bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014. The athlete born in 1989 also represented New Zealand to compete in the last two Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.
Roberton and his twin brother Jake were once sports inspirations in New Zealand, when they left their homeland to live in Iten - the highlands considered a mecca for running in Kenya at the age of 17 - to pursue their dreams. Dream of becoming the world's top long-distance runner. His doping scandal has been around since sample A - collected at the Great Manchester Run in May 2022 - tested positive for EPO. Robertson then asserted his innocence and appealed, before sample B gave the same result.
Then, the 34-year-old runner testified that he went to a medical facility in Kenya to get a Covid-19 vaccine, but was instead provided with Covid-19 drugs including EPO. Robertson claims to have informed his doctor that he is an athlete and cannot be treated with a banned substance in sports.
However, an investigation by the anti-doping agency New Zealand (DFSNZ) showed that Robertson was not given EPO at the medical facility he declared, nor did he arrive at the place at the time as declared. DFSNZ investigators also found that of the two doctors Robertson claimed to have treated him, one was just a laboratory technician, the other was not an employee of this medical facility. Robertson's medical record was also not issued by the medical facility he declared, and the patient number on it was a different person.
As a result, DFSNZ accused Robertson of committing fraud by making false statements and forging relevant documents.
"Zane Robertson's violations are deeply disappointing. His behavior goes against all of the values that New Zealand sport is all about," the NZ Herald quoted Nicki Nico - CEO and general secretary of the Olympic Committee of the country. This.
